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Build your own moving checklist

Answer a few simple questions about your move and get a personalized moving to Switzerland checklist, with tasks in a sensible order, from your home country to your first weeks in your new town.

Send me my list

Updated November 1, 2026 · official sources listed at the end

Red geraniums in terracotta pots on a sunny balcony overlooking Swiss chalet rooftops and forested mountains
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Moving to Switzerland checklist

Tick your situation and the list adapts. Your ticked boxes stay in this browser.

Nationality
You are moving
Moving to Switzerland checklist

0 of 8 ticked

Before you leave

At the border

Within 14 days

Within 3 months

Later on

Timeline of a move to Switzerland, from 3 months before to 3 months after arrivalTimeline in months around arrival day (day 0). Before: contract or plan signed and permit process started (−3 months), home search (−2 months), removal and inventory for customs (−1 month). After: registration with the municipality within 14 days, basic health insurance (LAMal/KVG) within 3 months. Outside the timeline: a foreign driving licence must be exchanged within 12 months.−3 months−2−1Day 0+1+2+3 monthsContract or plansignedPermit processstartedHome searchRental file readyRemovalInventory for customsArrival (day 0)This date starts the deadlinesRegister with themunicipalitywithin 14 daysSource: municipalities,cantonsHealthinsurance(LAMal)take out within3 monthsSource: FOPH, LAMalOutside the timeline: exchange a foreign driving licence within 12 monthsSource: OAC art. 42Recommended milestoneLegal deadline
Timeline of a move to Switzerland, from 3 months before to 3 months after arrival Source : municipalities and cantons (registration, 14 days); FOPH (health insurance, 3 months); OAC art. 42 (driving licence, 12 months) (consulted 1 November 2026)

Assumptions and sources

Sources: SEM; communes and cantons; FOPH (LAMal/KVG, deductibles); FOCBS (forms 18.44 and 15.30); FSVO (pets); OAC/VZV, art. 42; FTA (withholding tax); FNIA, art. 47. Your commune or canton may ask for other documents. Ticked boxes stay in this browser, nothing is sent.

Hand my checklist to a specialist

Every move looks different. A couple from Singapore with a job offer has other tasks than a family from Canada with two school-age children. This tool lets you pick your situation and see a list that fits it, so you do not have to sift through a generic list.

How to use the tool

  1. Choose who is moving: you alone, a couple, or a family.
  2. Say where you are coming from and whether a Swiss employer is involved.
  3. Add the extras that apply, such as pets, a car or children in school.
  4. Send the request at the bottom of the page and receive your list.

The tool gives an orientation, not a decision. It does not replace the authorities, who alone grant permits, and it does not give personal tax, legal or insurance advice. For questions about your own file, the request at the bottom of the page puts you in touch with a specialist.

What the list covers

The order most checklists followAt home · Documents, permit route, rental file, school · questions · Arrival · Registration with the local municipality · First weeks · Health insurance, bank account, school, transportAt homeDocuments, permit route, rental file, schoolquestionsArrivalRegistration with the local municipalityFirst weeksHealth insurance, bank account, school, transport
The order most checklists follow

Before you leave

Gather civil documents, check which permit route fits your situation with the permit finder, and see whether your rental file is complete. The three-month checklist before you leave goes deeper on this stage.

After you arrive

Registration with the municipality comes first: the rule is 14 days from arrival (ch.ch). Basic health insurance is then compulsory within three months of taking up residence (FOPH). Plan the dates with the relocation calendar.

A short sample list

  • Collect passports, birth and marriage certificates
  • Confirm the permit route for your nationality
  • Prepare a rental file
  • Ask about school places for your children
  • Register with the municipality after arrival
  • Arrange basic health insurance
  • Open a Swiss bank account

For what comes next, see your first 3 months and the common mistakes new arrivals make.

Limits of the tool

The list assumes a normal move from abroad. Cantons and municipalities apply their own procedures, so some steps differ by place. Treat the result as a starting point, then check details with the competent office.

Frequently asked questions

Is the checklist free?

Yes. You answer a few questions and receive your list through the request at the bottom of the page.

Does it tell me which permit I get?

No. It points you to the right steps, but only the authorities decide on a permit. The permit finder gives a first orientation.

Can I use it for my whole family?

Yes. Choose the family option and add children, so school and childcare tasks appear.

What if I only have a rough moving date?

A rough date is enough to order the tasks. You can refine it later with the relocation calendar.

Sources

Related pages

Tell us about your move

A few details are enough for us to understand your situation and put you in touch with the relocation company that fits it.

What happens after your request

  1. 01
    We read your request

    Destination, arrival date, household and the services you need tell us what kind of support fits.

  2. 02
    We connect you with a suitable company

    A relocation company in Switzerland that matches your request receives it.

  3. 03
    A first conversation

    The company contacts you to clarify your needs and sends you its own proposal.

We work with the best relocation companies in Switzerland and, depending on the request, put you in touch with the one that matches your needs. We do not give legal, tax or insurance advice.

1. Your move
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